NRL Supercoach: Top guns & best cheapies for 2023
Rugby league fans country-wide have waited patiently for the beginning of the NRL season; however, some real-die hard fans opt not to take the summer off.
Instead, planning and calculating for the 2023 Supercoach and Fantasy season takes precedence as players build their new squads for the new season.
One of the biggest keys to Supercoach and NRL Fantasy is picking the correct amount of guns for scoring points, as well as cheapies who will help build your squad value as you make trades to improve your list.
Rule changes, positional changes, roster changes, larger salary caps, larger player prices, more byes and more trades are part of the new landscape of the Supercoach season.
Building this year’s side can be incredibly difficult, especially after the new names thrown up in the NRL Pre-Season Challenge. Here are some ‘must-haves’ and ‘must-nots’ for the 2023 NRL Supercoach season.
Must-have 2023 NRL Supercoach guns
JOSEPH TAPINE
The front-row position is not often a position players should look to spend money; however, Joseph Tapine is the exception to that rule. The Canberra Raiders star’s ability to offload the ball, break tackles and score tries makes him the type of player you fear watching if he is not in your side. Whether players are focusing on head-to-head matches in their league, or have their eyes on the overall Supercoach prizes, Tapine is one you’ll need in your side.
NATHAN CLEARY
This is a much more obvious selection with the news that Sharks halfback Nicho Hynes is missing from round one with a calf injury. A cheaper option than last year’s Dally M winner, Nathan Cleary could have a stronger focus on his attacking game this season with Api Koroisau and Viliame Kikau missing from the Penrith Panthers side. Cleary averaged almost 80 points per game in 2022 and is a scary prospect if more attacking stats come his way in 2023.
SELWYN COBBO
Selwyn Cobbo showed in the All-Stars game this year exactly why he is a must-have in every Supercoach side. Cobbo is a freak athlete who can break multiple tackles a game and score from anywhere on the field. Playing inside Cobbo will be Ezra Mam, who will only mature and improve at this early stage in his career, as well as Kotoni Staggs who was carrying a shoulder injury for a majority of the 2023 season. If the Broncos left-edge attack improves, Cobbo’s stocks could skyrocket quickly.
JAMES TEDESCO
Some would say James Tedesco is an obvious selection in Supercoach; however, with Latrell Mitchell, Scott Drinkwater, and Tom Trbojevic available for selection, ‘Teddy’ could be overlooked. Early matches against the Dolphins and Warriors could create the scenario where the Sydney Roosters hero scores big before taking on a bigger side such as the Storm. The option would be there to trade early if his value improves, or he could be a ‘hold’ given his illustrious Supercoach history.
Must-have 2023 NRL Supercoach cheapies
J’MAINE HOPGOOD
J’maine Hopgood showed his incredible potential in the All-Stars game and again for the Parramatta Eels in the NRL Pre-Season Challenge. He is a workhorse that not only tackles all day in the middle, but has the attacking upside to make his one of the most attractive cheapie prospects. The Eels have lost a lot of middle forwards in the off-season, which should boost Hopgood’s minutes in the starting side. He will almost certainly increase dramatically in value. The issue with Hopgood may come down the line; if his output continues to be strong, is he a trade or hold option?
STEFANO UTOIKAMANU
The long-awaited return of Stefano Utoikamanu has come for Supercoach players after he showed in the back end of 2021 just how good a scorer he can be. While the Wests Tigers have a plethora of forwards to chose from, the fact he was made captain in the NRL Pre-Season Challenge suggests his minutes will be long and steady at the club. The addition of Koroisau to the Tigers could be an even bigger boost for the young front-rower. In a position where spending up the salary cap is not desirable, Utoikamanu is an absolute must-have.
ISAIYA KATOA
The hype around Isaiya Katoa has been enormous throughout the junior ranks of New South Wales rugby league, which was inly amplified when he was poached by the Dolphins for their debut season. Katoa had flashes of brilliance for Tonga in the Rugby League World Cup, which is promising for Supercoaches. The issues around Anthony Milford suggest that Katoa could have an extended run in the starting side under Wayne Bennett, and if he lives up to the hype, he will be brilliant for building squad value to start the season.
SUNIA TURUVA
Sunia Turuva’s stocks were boosted enormously by the unfortunate news of Taylan May rupturing his ACL before the start of the 2023 NRL season. Turuva was phenomenal for the Fijian side during representative round in 2022, only to continue his brilliant form in the World Cup. Be it on the left wing or right, the raw ability of Turuva is undeniable and he could be another brilliant player that builds squad value early in the season.
